1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for selecting a golf ball suitable for a golfer, and to a method and system for selecting a golf club and a golf ball suitable for a golfer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when a golfer selects a suitable golf club and/or a suitable golf ball, he or she collects relevant catalogs and/or hits balls on a trial basis, and the golfer then selects a golf club and/or a golf ball on the basis of data of the catalogs and/or results of the trial hit. This is a general manner of selecting a golf club and/or a golf ball.
Further, in order to select a golf club suitable for a golfer, there has conventionally been used a method in which the golfer is requested to hit golf balls with various golf clubs; head speeds of the golf clubs at that time are measured; and a golf club suitable for the golfer is selected on the basis of the head speeds.
However, even when the former method of selecting a golf club or a golf ball is used, the golfer encounters difficulty in determining which golf club or golf ball is really suited for him or her, because the golfer can browse only a limited number of catalogs and the time for trial hitting is limited.
Moreover, the latter method is adapted to select a golf club on the basis of a head speed that a golfer can attain (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9chead speed of a golferxe2x80x9d), and the types of data used for selection are few. Therefore, in some cases the latter method fails to select a golf club suitable for the golfer.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the foregoing, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for properly selecting a golf ball suitable for a golfer, and a method and system for properly selecting a golf club and a golf ball suitable for a golfer.
To achieve the above object, the present inventors have carried out earnest studies and found that a golf ball suitable for a golfer can be properly selected through use of head speed of a golf club and hit-ball data, which are obtained when the golfer hits a golf ball with the golf club, and ball-type selection data for determining which among a plurality of ball types is suitable for the golfer.
Further, the present inventors have found that a golf club suitable for a golfer can be properly selected when the selection is performed in consideration of not only a head speed of a golfer but also hit-ball data of the golfer, such as initial speed, launch angle, backspin, and side spin of a hit ball; specifically, when actual hit data such as a head speed of a golfer is obtained, ideal hit-ball data of the golfer are calculated on the basis of the actual hit data, and a golf club which is suitable for realization of the ideal hit-ball data is selected.
The present invention has been accomplished on the basis of these findings. According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for selecting a golf ball suitable for a golfer, comprising the steps of:
(i) obtaining at least one of head speed and hit-ball data when a golfer hits a golf ball with a golf club;
(ii) obtaining, from the golfer, ball-type selection data for determining which among a plurality of ball types is suitable for the golfer; and
(iii) selecting a golf ball of a type suitable for the golfer on the basis of the at least one of head speed and hit-ball data obtained in step (i) and the ball-type selection data obtained in step (ii).
According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for selecting a golf club and golf ball suitable for a golfer, comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining at least one of head speed and hit-ball data when a golfer hits a golf ball with a golf club;
(b) obtaining ideal hit-ball data of the golfer on the basis of the at least one of head speed and hit-ball data obtained in step (a);
(c) selecting a golf club suitable for the golfer on the basis of the ideal hit-ball data obtained in step (b);
(d) obtaining at least one of head speed and hit-ball data when the golfer hits a golf ball with the golf club selected in step (c);
(e) obtaining, from the golfer, ball-type selection data for determining which among a plurality of ball types is suitable for the golfer; and
(f) selecting a golf ball of a type suitable for the golfer, on the basis of the at least one of head speed and hit-ball data obtained in step (d) and the ball-type selection data obtained in step (e).
According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a system for selecting a golf club and golf ball suitable for a golfer, comprising:
actual hit data obtainment means for obtaining at least one of head speed and hit-ball data when a golfer hits a golf ball with a golf club; and
ideal data obtainment means for obtaining ideal hit-ball data of the golfer on the basis of the at least one of head speed and hit-ball data obtained by the actual hit data obtainment means, wherein
a golf club suitable for the golfer is selected on the basis of the ideal hit-ball data obtained by the ideal data obtainment means; and
a golf ball of a type suitable for the golfer is selected on the basis of the at least one of head speed and hit-ball data, which are obtained by the actual hit data obtainment means as actual hit data when the golfer hits a golf ball by use of the selected golf club, and ball-type selection data obtained from the golfer and adapted for determining which among a plurality of ball types is suitable for the golfer.
The method for selecting a golf ball according to the present invention enables proper selection of a golf ball suitable for a golfer. Further, the method and system for selecting a golf club and a golf ball according to the present invention enables proper selection of a golf club and a golf ball suitable for a golfer.